By Herald Staff

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its quarantine guidance for people who are deemed a close contact to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. There are now three options for a quarantine period for close contacts.

1. Quarantine would end after day 14 if the person has not developed any symptoms. This is the ideal quarantine to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and recommended for those who work with the high-risk population or for those who can work remotely.

2. Quarantine could end after day 10 if the person has not had a COVID-19 test and has not developed any symptoms.

3. Quarantine could end after day 7 if the person tested negative for COVID-19 on day 5, 6, or 7 and has not developed any symptoms

The second and third options require that the person adhere to strict practices of masking, physical distancing, hand washing and watching for symptoms through day 14. Further information can be found at www.cdc.gov.

If any of these practices cannot be followed while preforming an activity, then that specific activity may not resume until after day 14.

The Dubois County Health Department is asking the public and all employers to follow these quarantine guidelines and the department supports your decision regarding which quarantine option you decide to enact to help protect the community.

There is no guidance change for a positive person, according to the county health department. They continue with the 10-day isolation from symptom onset or 10-day isolation from the positive test date if they did not have any symptoms.